Gary Buchanan reviews Zambezi Queen

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Those of us fortunate enough to experience the real-life 'beauty
and the beasts' tableaux that unfold in the African bush have,
until now, done so during a land safari. Now there's a unique
opportunity to indulge in a peerless, water-borne encounter with
the Dark Continent without stampedes of camera-wielding tourists
onboard Zambezi Queen.

Often dubbed Africa's last wilderness, Botswana lies deep within
southern Africa, the Kalahari Desert at its core. The premier
stronghold is in the north where the Okavango River comes in from
the rainy uplands of Angola. This inland delta has been called the
world's largest oasis and together with the Chobe River it has been
a magnet for wildlife since time immemorial.

The 4,200-square-mile Chobe National Park has one of the highest
concentrations of big game in Africa. Apart from boasting the
largest populace of elephant in the world with numbers estimated at
around 120,000; this is the realm of lion and leopard, zebra and
giraffe, as well as buffalo, waterbuck, eland, sable, roan antelope
and rare puku. Forming the border with Namibia, the riverfront of
the National Park is the essence of the Chobe - emerald floodplains
that are home to great pods of galumphing hippopotamus while
Cambrian crocodile are never far away.

Conveying just 28 privileged passengers, the Zambezi Queen plies
the Chobe River from its mooring on the Namibian side of this
watercourse and offers an entirely different perspective on
wildlife - for aboard this floating idyll the fauna of the Chobe
become curious visitors.

Boasting ten Suites and four Master Suites this 140-ft long
idiosyncratic craft's generous accommodation offers king-size or
twin beds, showers, and private balconies which are screened with
full-length sliding shutters and mosquito net doors. The African
theme is endorsed by zebra-striped cushions and impressive
black-and-white prints of timeless African images.

On the top deck an outdoor shaded terrace has a plunge pool,
while inside there's an air-conditioned lounge outfitted with
off-white sofas, a well-stocked bar and restaurant. The personable
crew of 44 are all Namibian from local villages. This well-trained
hospitality team are on hand to dispense cocktails as well as
deftly serving breakfast and dinner which reflects South African
favourites with local influences; lunch is offered buffet-style.
Complimentary fine South African wines are also a highlight of each
meal.

The intoxicating early-morning cacophony of untamed Africa
ensures guests wake with the sun. The call of fish eagles breaks
the solitude; the air is filled with the smoke of burning hardwood
blended with a potpourri of the yawning breath of the bush;
voracious Tiger Fish stir the mirror-flat surface of the river
while Kingfishers hover overhead.

After breakfast there's the chance to explore the unravelling
spectacle of the riverbank. From the tender boats the naturalists
identify several deceptively languid, glass-eyed crocodiles
camouflaged in the muddy undergrowth. Further downriver guests
witness hippopotamus opening their gargantuan jaws yawning to
reveal a pink mouth equipped with huge, razor-sharp teeth before
snapping shut like the mechanism of a refuse truck.

The following day a game drive in the Chobe National Park
reveals families of elephant playfully showering each other with
water and mud on the riverbank before returning to the undergrowth
to feed on the inner bark and roots of trees. Everyone becomes
entranced at the insouciance of the pachyderms.

Later that afternoon the guides dispense liberal gin and tonics
during a sun-downer cruise as ineffable African images are
composed. Black dots shimmering through the blonde grasses
gradually come into focus as grazing buffalo; somewhat closer,
where wooded slopes roll gently down to the muddy river bed,
families of warthogs complete their wallow and trot off
military-style in single file, heads and tails ramrod straight.

For three days images from the recent television series by David
Attenborough 'Africa' are brought to life. To try and describe this
floating idyll and the accompanying 'really wild show' is to damage
one's faith in the adaptability of language; metaphor is
useless.

Conveying just 28 privileged passengers, the Zambezi Queen plies
the Chobe River from its mooring on the Namibian side of this
watercourse and offers an entirely different perspective on
wildlife - for aboard this floating idyll the fauna of the Chobe
become curious visitors.

Boasting ten Suites and four Master Suites this 140-ft long
idiosyncratic craft's generous accommodation offers king-size or
twin beds, showers, and private balconies which are screened with
full-length sliding shutters and mosquito net doors. The African
theme is endorsed by zebra-striped cushions and impressive
black-and-white prints of timeless African images.

On the top deck an outdoor shaded terrace has a plunge pool,
while inside there's an air-conditioned lounge outfitted with
off-white sofas, a well-stocked bar and restaurant. The personable
crew of 44 are all Namibian from local villages. This well-trained
hospitality team are on hand to dispense cocktails as well as
deftly serving breakfast and dinner, which reflects South African
favourites with local influences; lunch is offered buffet-style.
Complimentary fine South African wines are also a highlight of each
meal.

The intoxicating early-morning cacophony of untamed Africa
ensures guests wake with the sun. The call of fish eagles breaks
the solitude; the air is filled with the smoke of burning hardwood
blended with a potpourri of the yawning breath of the bush;
voracious tiger fish stir the mirror-flat surface of the river
while kingfishers hover overhead.

After breakfast there's the chance to explore the unravelling
spectacle of the riverbank. From the tender boats the naturalists
identify several deceptively languid, glass-eyed crocodiles
camouflaged in the muddy undergrowth. Further downriver we witness
hippopotamus opening their gargantuan jaws yawning to reveal a pink
mouth equipped with huge, razor-sharp teeth before snapping shut
like the mechanism of a refuse truck.

The following day a game drive in the Chobe National Park
reveals families of elephants playfully showering each other with
water and mud on the riverbank before returning to the undergrowth
to feed on the inner bark and roots of trees. Everyone becomes
entranced at the insouciance of the pachyderms.

Later that afternoon the guides dispense liberal gin and tonics
during a sun-downer cruise as ineffable African images are
composed. Black dots shimmering through the blonde grasses
gradually come into focus as grazing buffalo; somewhat closer,
where wooded slopes roll gently down to the muddy river bed,
families of warthogs complete their wallow and trot off
military-style in single file, heads and tails ramrod straight.

For three days images from David Attenborough's 'Africa' are
brought to life. To try and describe this floating idyll and the
accompanying 'really wild show' is to damage one's faith in the
adaptability of language; metaphor is useless.